The Volkswagen Beetle is the world’s most sold car of all time. It trumped over the Fiat 124 (which took second place) and the Ford Model T (the third most popular). After the production of the original Volkswagen Beetle some time between 1939 and 2003, manufacturing them halted. During those times, there were a total of 21 million Beetles which were created.

Yet another Volkswagen car which made it to the Top Ten is the Golf MkI, taking the sixth spot. The Golf MkII took the seventh slot. Introduced way back at 1974, these models are still being manufactured in South Africa. There have already been 6.9 million units produced to this date.

To see the complete list of the cars which made it to the Top Ten, see the data presented below:

1. Volkswagen Beetle
2. Fiat 124 (15 million units produced)
3. Ford Model T (was the world’s biggest seller until VW took its place)
4. Fiat Uno (sold 8.3 million units since 1983)
5. Renault 5 (was able to sell 8 million units)
6. Volkswagen Golf MkI
7. Volkswagen Golf MkII
8. Peugeot 206 (exceeding 5.5 million units have been produced)
9. Renault 5 (sold less than 5.5 million units between 1972 and 1983)
10. Mini (years of production: 41 years)

source: Fermanagh Herald

Although there has been no definite decision yet regarding the launch of the revolutionary navigation system, it is already popularly known that Volkswagen has collaborated with Google for the new navigation system which is all about being user-friendly. Its highlight is providing drivers and passengers alike a more convenient trip.

The new navigation system is bound to revolutionize driving experience. Volkswagen and Google have teamed up in order to provide both the drivers and passengers convenience via an innovative system. To amplify the advancement of the navigation system, the graphics card manufacturer nVidia is also working hand in hand with them. The three had started on the development of said project back in October of 2005. The first prototype was presented last January 2006 in Las Vegas, during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

This fresh, “virtual travel information” system utilizes data from Google Earth. Three-dimensional images of the route are going to be displayed. Important information such as traffic updates or weather report will be displayed in real-time. The prototype has a couple of distinct benefits. For one thing, the three-dimensional display will give the driver and the passengers more ease of understanding the data presented to them. At a glance, the photorealistic display will make everything quicker and easier. Another benefit of this navigation system is the real-time data it gives. When one wants to know what route to take, traffic updates can be obtained. Just as well, finding gas stations while on long road trips will be easy with this system. It not just offers comfort and reliability but peace of mind, too, while being on the road.

source: automotoportal.com

As one of the most established carmakers in the automotive industry, Volkswagen is definitely not one to be left behind in the race to save the environment.

Hence, they will be gearing their engineering towards technology that is in compliance with the strict environmental requirements across the globe. The makers of the VW parts will also be complying with the customers’ demands, further illustrating how they cater to the needs of their clientele. At the 2008 Taipei International Auto Show, the company’s Singapore arm managing director shared a little bit of information towards where Volkswagen will be headed for the coming of 2008—and it seems that they are going green.

“With the effects of global warming, the issues of energy conservation and environmental protection have become increasingly crucial to Volkswagen,” Dr. Olaf Duebel said.

Citing the TSI engines that the company has been trying to develop, the makers of the VW parts is also trying to reinvent their technology to help clients get the best in fuel economy. This will be an addition to their already established TDI technology, which has been implemented in the Polo.

Volkswagen of America Inc., one of the most successful arms of the makers of high-quality VW parts, will now be known as Volkswagen Group of America Inc. The change of the name will be effective on the first day of January for the year 2008. Hm…will there be more changes to expect? It seems like Volkswagen is planning on a head start as 2008 slowly unfolds itself to the automotive industry.

The change in name is to emphasize the growing family of Volkswagen, extending its services to car names such as Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Volkswagen. It also serves as the umbrella company for related financial services like the Audi Financial Services, Bentley Financial Services, and Volkswagen Credit.

“Our company, like the entire Volkswagen Group, has grown dramatically since our formation in the United States in 1955. Our new corporate name allows our individual brands to flourish, while recognizing that we have a common support structure that gives us great strength as we face our competitors,” Stefan Jacoby, President and Chief Executive Officer said in a statement released by Volkswagen of America. “The new name Volkswagen Group of America reflects the much wider array of goods and services we now offer, and prepares us for even more activities in the future.”

Despite such change, the Volkswagen and Audi marques will still carry on their business under their names, Volkswagen of America, and Audi of America. Aside from the change of the company’s name, improvements are to be expected as they will still continue to live up as the world’s fourth largest car company, providing excellent VW parts worldwide.

The makers of the high-quality VW parts announced that there will be a notable change in how they will be making their future cars. According to the company, they will be developing four new architectures which shall be made available to all the marques of the company’s portfolio. This echoes the company’s aims to cut expenses, increase in sales, and eventually overtake Toyota as the global leader in automaking.

This new mind set as a manufacturer allows the makers of the VW parts to build their cars faster (about a year off the times spent on development), while also reducing expenses by at least 25 and 40 percent. The target for the group sales is to reach 10 million by 2018 from the 5.7 million it earned since 2006. Six million units will be taken care of by the company’s transverse-engine architecture or MQB, for both their small-lower-medium and upper-medium models.

According to a company spokesman, MQB is geared for a broad application, from small cars up to their upper-medium. In fact, they were pretty confident in saying that their first model can be expected already come 2010. The company was not too keen on specifying the number of models that are to be based on the MQB architecture. However, other sources said that MQB will serve as a replacement for at least 20 small, lower-medium and upper-medium models. They will also be creating some addition to the old family line-up like: Polo, Golf, Jetta, Beetle, Touran, Caddy, Eos and Passat; Audi’s A3 and TT; Skoda’s Fabia, Roomster, Octavia and Superb; and Seat’s Ibiza, Cordoba, Leon, Altea and Toledo.

A second plan of architecture is in the works too, and it is dubbed as the MHB. This plan encompasses Volkswagen’s new fleet of rear-engine in the company’s minicar range. Witnessing their roster of the Up! concept vehicles is said to be like a preview for their upcoming new models.

Source: Cartoday.com

Volkswagen of America CEO and President Stefan Jaocby has confirmed the sad news: There will be no Volkswagen Sirocco for North America. According to a report by Car and Driver, the American makers of VW parts already have the GTI and the R32 in place of the Sirocco. The Sirocco will be available for the European market by mid-2008.

Jacoby also said that they needed to focus on their company’s “core products”, such as the Rabbit, the Jetta, the Passat, and their latest addition, the Tiguan.

“The [2009 Scirocco] is lovely, but we can’t have everything,” Jacoby said in an interview by Car and Driver. At the same time, Jacoby truthfully announced the improvement of the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta Parts. He said that its launch will be moved later to late summer of 2008 because of some flaws in the emissions system. “We need to launch with proper emissions and quality,” Jacoby said in the same interview. Despite the delay, the American makers of the VW parts are still the first carmakers to offer diesel technology compliant with emissions regulations, Stateside. This will open the doors for future generations of Volkswagen’s diesel vehicles.

Source: Car and Driver

The makers of VW parts celebrated the 60^th birthday of the Transporter. At the same time, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles reached its 10 millionth mark, due to the successful production of vans. This celebration was all the more hyped up when UK advertisements pumped up a powerful copy, “10 Million Transporter Drivers Can’t Be Wrong”.

The VW parts-bearing van was first produced in Wolfsburg in the year 1950. It echoes the same power that the Beetle has—a 1,131 cc engine that develops 25PS. Today, the Transporter varies in four diesel engines—TDI PD, 1.9-liters to 2.5-liters—a long way from what it once was. But at the same time, the same old magic of the Transporter is still in tact. After the next 60 years that this van will live through, we will really know that 20 million Transporter Drivers can’t be wrong—or more.

Source: autoindustry

The Canadian arm of the makers of the VW parts announced that they will be “enhancing” the manufacturer’s sales program to offer “an even more attractive value-priced vehicle according to a report made by newswire.com.

“For a limited time only, consumer savings now total $2,500 on Jetta, $4,000 on Passat, and $5,000 on Touareg 2. In addition, any new 2008 Eos now benefits from savings of $2,000. Under this enhanced program, attractive APR rates, starting as low as 1.9 % have been extended to select 2008 model-year vehicles. These offers are valid until January 2, 2008,” the report stated.

The Canadian makers of high-quality VW parts are based in Ajax, Ontario. This great news will definitely help Canadians to achieve their dreams of driving a Volkswagen car. Be it the Jetta or the Touareg 2, sales will be expected to rise in the Canadian market.

Source: newswire.com

Stanford will be receiving a total of $5.57 million from Volkswagen of America. This is initially for the Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Lab (VAIL), but it will be shared with Stanford University. VAIL is a new program that supports automotive teaching and research for interested students. This learning will take root at the Stanford University, where Junior was readied for the DARPA Challenge. From the makers of the VW parts, another branch of knowledge is accomplished to improve the automotive industry. (So before this news continues, congratulations Volkswagen, this is another great initiative from you guys!)

“The VAIL will be a solid foundation on which Volkswagen researchers and Stanford scientists will be able to find new ways to explore automotive technology,” Volkswagen of America’s Electronics Research Laboratory executive director Dr. Burkhard Huhnke, said in an interview by Earthtimes. “The work done at VAIL will help to further develop the future of mobility and autonomous driving that we started with our partnership on the DARPA Grand Challenge vehicles, Stanley and Junior.”

The makers of the VW parts are going to donate $2 million so that the California-established University could erect the building of the VAIL. A $750,000 budget is allotted every year for five years to fund the actual research and teaching activities, according to a report by Earthtimes. The classes will be held at Stanford’s CarLab, VAIL’s interdisciplinary research center.

“The success of Junior and Stanley in the DARPA Grand Challenge events show that when Stanford collaborates with great partners in industry, such as Volkswagen, we can create significant new technologies,” says Stanford Dean of Engineering Jim Plummer, in the same interview. “Transportation is a vital part of life and our goal as engineers is to find innovative ways to meet important human needs.”

Source: Earthtimes

Congratulations to Volkswagen of South Africa for finally passing the 2.5 million mark. The milestone, which was reached last November 7, is welcome development for the German-based automaker’s foray into the African continent. After all, their 56 years of making VW parts is not something we can take for granted. Anyway, their 2.5 millionth car was a Golf 1.6. 2.5 is really a big number to attain, especially since some young carmakers are just reaching their millionth car.

“Interestingly, the 2.5 million vehicles we have produced here in Uitenhage include 913 000 Golfs, 314 000 Jettas, 308 000 Polos, 290 000 Beetles, 266 000 Type 2 and Type 3 Busses, 147 000 Audis and 104 000 Passats. This illustrates just how diversified and flexible our plant has been over the past 56 years,” Volkswagen of SA Managing Director David Powels said in an interview conducted by Moneyweb.com.

“Through good and bad times, Volkswagen of South Africa has remained committed to building People’s Cars and thereby offering the people of South Africa affordable mobility. Importantly, we have created thousands and thousands of jobs and has given a similar number of people the opportunity to acquire skills,” Powels emphasized, tracing back Volkswagen’s roots in servitude.

Originally a factory that is exclusive to building Volkswagen Beetles, this South African arm is now far from its goal in creating mobility in the region. Their products now vary from different car models to the different engines and VW parts. They are proud to have delivered this goal with such efficiency and much customer satisfaction. Hence, it is not so surprising that they will be making 2.5 million vehicles more. Keep up the good work SA!

Source: Moneyweb.com